Schedule

Schedule

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 12

11:00 AM - 1:00 PM

Words Beats & Life & Future of Music Coalition present 42 Sources of Revenue: Making (more) Money From Your Music

Join Words Beats & Life and Future of Music Coalition for an overview of FMC’s groundbreaking Artist Revenue Streams research project that offers a first look at how US-based musicians are actually making a living.

This presentation will also include a discussion of the 42 different revenue streams for musicians and how these streams differ from artist to artist depending on their roles, stages in their career and genres they work in. Visit the Facebook event here.

RSVP Instructions (please read carefully)
To RSVP, you must send an e-mail to mazi [at] wblinc [dot] org (subject: Money%20from%20Music) with the subject “Money from Music” to get the location. Your name must be submitted to the building to enter the event, so RSVP is required and is separate from FMC’s Summit12. This event is FREE but space is very limited.

6:00 PM – 7:30 PM
Pho 14
(Columbia Heights, Washington, DC)

Welcome Pho Dinner

Make sure you get into town early enough to kick off the Summit right at FMC’s traditional opening night Pho dinner (in a new location!). Our Pho dinners set the stage for an incredibly friendly event, so join us for delicious soup and a debate warm-up at DC’s award-winning Pho 14. Click here for directions

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 13

Internet radio service Pandora seems to be constantly in the spotlight — from its initial public offering last summer to the current debate over royalty rates. There is little doubt that Pandora is a leader in the online radio market, and that’s what’s driving so much of the attention. How does the company balance its growth trajectory against its obligations to artists and rightsholders? What does sustainability look like in the broader webcasting sector? Learn more about Pandora’s positions and how the company sees the future of internet radio in this interview with Founder and Chief Strategy Officer Tim Westergren and the Chicago Tribune’s Greg Kot.

Free speech is crucial to creators. Musicians and other artists express themselves in countless ways, and on countless platforms. So much of this expression happens on the internet — whether it’s on social media, online music communities or an artist’s own website. An open internet is crucial to the exchange of ideas that inform every aspect of our lives, from entertainment to activism. Yet there is a tension between maintaining openness and protecting those who make a living from their creations. Recent policy proposals around intellectual property enforcement, such as the Stop Online Piracy Act, were defeated by a massive protest that included major website blackouts. Does this mean that government should back away from policies to combat infringement? Or is there a way to thread the needle to preserve online expression while putting the brakes on piracy? Are we doing enough to ensure that creative content can be licensed efficiently and lawfully for the benefit of those consumers who really do want to pay? These questions are increasingly being asked within the international policy sphere; the answers will define our networked lives for years to come.

Not all digital locker services are created equal. While some may play cute with legal requirements, others, chief among them RapidShare, are looking for productive ways to work with creators and copyright owners. Increasingly, services like RapidShare are being used as business solutions for artists and their representatives, due to the ease of storing and distributing of large files like studio sessions and album demos. In this conversation, Daniel Raimer, Chief Legal Officer of Swiss-based secure data logistics provider RapidShare, will reaffirm their Responsible Practices, a manifesto that calls for cloud storage providers to protect legitimate intellectual property while preserving internet innovation. Hear about RapidShare’s commitment to cracking down on copyright abuse, their new 2013 service aimed at helping recording artists, and more in today’s illuminating interview.

With the advent of the digital music economy, online services have revolutionized how independent musicians go about creating, promoting and distributing their art. Since each musician is a small business, this year we’re looking at services that help musicians manage those businesses: their money, tours, websites, communications, fan relationships and e-commerce solutions. We’ll explore how and whether these artist-focused services are serving musicians’ needs. Join us as our panel of musicians and artist managers kicks the tires on a group of emerging digital music services.

As we close out the recent election cycle and look at the next four years, what are the lessons we’ve learned in terms of holding administrations accountable and navigating difficult policy questions? Where should we be heading as a nation, and what can “We the People” do to help us get there? What is the role of artists and public interest groups in politics, government and shaping cultural policy? FMC is honored to ask best-selling author Thomas Frank (Pity the Billionaire, What’s the Matter with Kansas?), advocate Sascha Meinrath (New America Foundation’s Open Technology Institute) and artist/musician Rebecca Gates (Spinanes, Rebecca Gates and the Consortium) to tackle these and other questions.

Today, fans have more ways than ever to discover music, and radio — whether webcast, satellite or good old fashioned over-the-air — is a major driver. But radio isn’t just about finding new sounds; it’s also a source of revenue for composers, songwriters and performing artists. But not all broadcasters pay all creators, and some don’t pay at all. Additionally, the uneven royalty obligations among digital broadcasters have some complaining that the current rate-setting process is unsustainable. The recently-introduced Internet Radio Fairness Act (IRFA), seeks to abolish the current rate-setting standard for webcasters — including the popular “predictive radio” service Pandora. There is tremendous controversy around how this move might impact artist compensation, as the bill’s approach to lowering webcasting rates is to move the royalty to the standard used for satellite radio. The bill’s supporters say this will help grow the market and provide more earning opportunity for musicians. Critics say that there is no way such a move does not result in a substantial reduction of revenue for artists. Meanwhile, terrestrial radio still doesn’t pay performers or labels. Many would agree that parity among radio services is a worthy goal. The question is what is ultimately “fair,” and do artists get to have a say?

Artist compensation continues to be a major issue as debates rage about meager payouts on streaming music services, orchestras are locked out from labor disputes, composer and songwriter income falls, volunteer players are crowdsourced, capital investment in music careers shifts to fan-funding and royalty rates for all forms of broadcasting are argued. Should musicians simply readjust their expectations? How are artists assembling careers for the long haul? Do fans have an increased responsibility to support their favorite musicians? What changes would have the most positive impact on artists? And the $64,000 question: how do we monetarily value artists’ labors? Hard and fast answers may be elusive, but it’s time to start asking the right questions.

The latest presentation from FMC’s influential Artist Revenue Streams project examines the topic of artist compensation and leverage. For some revenue streams, rates are disclosed and negotiated in public. In other instances, rates are set between private parties or behind closed doors. In what instances do musicians and songwriters have leverage over how much they are paid, and what can they do if they feel the rate is too low? Using qualitative and quantitative data collected as part of the Artist Revenue Streams research project, we will discuss the different types of income streams, and how much control musicians have over the rates, the paths by which the money flows, and how musicians and policymakers can work together to ensure fair compensation in the future.

Pussy Riot, a balaclava-clad anonymous punk rock art collective inspired in part by the Riot grrrl movement of the 1990s, has captivated artists, media and the public as has no other Russian human rights case in recent memory.

Artists from Yoko Ono to Bjork have rallied to their side after members of the group were charged with “hooliganism” and later sentenced to two years in a correctional labor colony for their guerrilla art performance in the Temple of Christ the Savior in Moscow. This judgment - for a 45-second unplugged performance mostly consisting of chanting and dancing in front of the church’s altar - has reignited international concerns about freedom of expression and state censorship.

But what else does this case tell us about the possible future for DIY feminist organizing and activism? How do emerging open technologies enable or inhibit musical activist movements and international solidarity? What are the biggest challenges to free expression in the US and abroad?

It may take some time to figure out what Pussy Riot means in the world’s cultural context, but they have reminded us that artists’ greatest allies and advocates may be each other.

In recent years, one of the big buzzwords among policymakers is “data” – how to get it, how to use it and how it can inform more effective policies. This is particularly true of the arts and culture sector, as policymakers on the federal, state and local level look for ways to increase their understanding of how policy decisions impact the arts and culture sector. Conversely, arts and culture activities are relevant to a host of issue areas, from education to economic development to transportation and beyond. In this conversation, we will hear from government officials about the kinds of data that allows them to succeed in their jobs, along with corporate, non-profit and academic perspectives on the challenges and opportunities that lay before us.

Ian David Moss Research Director, Fractured AtlasJoshua Geyer Program Analyst, Office of Sustainable Housing and Communities, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban DevelopmentSteven Shewfelt Deputy Director at the Office of Research & Analysis, NEADerek Slater Policy Manager, GoogleJean Cook Director of Programs, Future of Music Coalition (moderator)

Now that the election is over, Congress swings back into action this week with a “lame duck” session and the 113th Congress, which begins in January, 2013. The sheer scope of issues that impact the arts and culture sector is mind-boggling, from telecommunications and technology, to health care and education, to intellectual property and innovation. Where will leading Senators and Members of Congress be focusing their energy in the coming months and years? How could these issues impact the arts and culture sector? And how can members of the music community play a constructive role in these ongoing debates? We ask a panel of leading Congressional staff members for their unique perspectives.

In today’s social media world, musicians are much more than entertainers – they are activists, educators and providers of news and information. From disaster relief to election work, building awareness for issues and engaging in philanthropy, artists are redefining what it means to communicate with an audience. Our panel looks back on this election cycle, what excites (and concerns) them about their activism, and reflects on what it means to be an artist and citizen.

Join us for a cocktail party hosted by MailChimp in Gibson Guitar’s Washington D.C. Showroom from 6:30 - 8:30 PM. Thanks to our generous sponsor and host, we’ll have an open bar, snacks, music and a beautiful, unique space for this shindig. There’s limited capacity at this venue, so head on over right after panels end to be sure you get in! Note: this will be an 18+ event.